Whitecaps hoping team identity will emerge against Dynamo

3/15/2019 4:36:07 PM EST

Having been eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League, the Houston Dynamo will turn their attention back to their promising MLS start Saturday at home against a struggling and rebuilding Vancouver Whitecaps side.

The Dynamo (1-0-1, 4 points) were one of three MLS teams eliminated from the Champions League during the quarterfinals, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Tigres UANL of Mexico on total goals after dropping the second and game series 1-0 on the road on Tuesday.

The Dynamo mustered only one effort on target over all 180 minutes of the series, in contrast to their first two regular-season games, where they've earned a win and a draw. Tuesday's game in Mexico was Houston's sixth coming out of a shortened preseason.

"We don't make excuses about what happened. I think there has to be some kind of analysis from Major League Soccer if this is what they want," Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera said following Tuesday's defeat. "But with the quality of the players that the Mexican League has, we cannot compete at the same level if we don't have enough time to prepare ourselves."

The Dynamo already are facing some injury issues. Defenders DaMarcus Beasley and Maynor Figueroa are questionable with leg injuries, while midfielder Juan David Cabezas remains out.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps (0-2-0, 0 points) have suffered back-to-back losses to open the season under first-year coach Marc dos Santos, who took over a club that turned over more than half of its roster in the offseason.

After being outplayed in their season-opening loss at home to Minnesota, the Whitecaps were improved in their 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake last weekend, allowing RSL's goal from the penalty spot

While Dos Santos works to unearth his team's identity, earning results on trips like Saturday's to Houston will be more about attitude. The Whitecaps are at least relatively healthy, sustaining no major injuries since the season began.

"You're going to need the capacity to suffer to some extent," Dos Santos said, "and have the right mentality to get over the edge and to sacrifice as a team to get out of there with points."